[ Eli's at the Red House, finishing up a lesson with one of his tutoring students, when Charlie calls. It rolls over to voicemail, but it's so not like her to call that he picks it up as soon as his student leaves.
As soon as he hears her voice, he's glad he did. Fuck. She sounds so scared. He call her right back and hopes she picks up. ]
[ She doesn't answer right away, mostly because she'd showered to try to calm herself down and breathe, and she doesn't hear her phone right away because it's buried under blankets while she reads and tries to distract herself. When she does hear it, there's a scramble to get it and she answers just before it flips to voicemail. ]
Eli. Hey.
[ She still sounds stressed, but calmer. It's a forced calm, but it's something. She'd like to not set everything on fire with her panic, so she's kept herself tucked away in her room after her shower, reading books from the library, trying to keep on top of her education even if she isn't actually going to school. ]
I didn't bother you earlier, did I? There's probably a million things you need to do.
[ Eli knows that sound, the tightness in her voice like she's trying to be normal. He's heard it, he's used it. It's killing him to hear it from her now. ]
No, you didn't. It's fine, I'm not busy. You need company?
[ Honestly, Charlie's trying to not stress herself too much over her foolish choice. Foolish to her, at the very least. She's dragging someone into her own issues, and that doesn't feel right.
Don't worry; a small part of her is in fact telling her she's being stupid by worrying too much about this. So, in a tone that's a lot more truthful than the one she'd used before, she speaks. ]
Yeah....I think that'd be very helpful. Thank you, Eli. See you in a bit?
[ Okay, she wants company. He can tell by the tone in her voice. ]
Yeah. I'm leaving now.
* * *
And he does leave right away. Charlie's important to him.
* * *
It's about a half an hour before Eli shows up at the big villa. Although he knocks at the outer doors, it's just to let them know he's here. He lets himself in and sends Charlie a quick voice message via phone to say
In the kitchen is the quick voice reply. She'll be found there trying to find something to eat. So far, it doesn't look like she's found anything. Or she just can't focus enough to find anything interesting. Shortly after sending Eli her message, she starts relaxing a bit more. It's easier to remember that Neil is in good hands, that he'll be home and fine soon. She isn't sure why Eli gives her that sense of peace, or why it's so much easier for her to breathe, but she certainly appreciates whatever it is.
A few moments later, Eli enters the kitchen from the courtyard. "Hey," he says and reaches for Charlie to pull her into a hug. He's not even sure if she'd want a hug, but it seems like she could use one.
All he could find by tracking Regina's phone is that Neil's sick, Regina's scared, and she's really carefully managing what she's telling the kids. He's not planning to ask any questions until he's sure she's steadier.
She's absolutely okay with the hug, her arms going around his waist and her face pressed against his shoulder. This wasn't fair, really. She was upset that Neil was sick, she was annoyed at how helpless it made her feel. And she's terrified. She might be shaking just a faint bit, most of her focus on keeping her abilities in check.
After some silence from her, her eyes closed tightly, she finally steps back out of the hug and looks at Eli.
"Sorry...uh...thanks for coming by. I'm really glad you're here."
Eli's surprised by how relieved he feels when Charlie lets him hug her, and it feels pretty good to know he's helping her. He doesn't really want to let go, either, so he keeps a hand on her arm when she steps back.
"Nothing to be sorry for," he reassures her. "What can I do?"
She kind of shrugs, hands reaching up to run through her own hair in frustration. This was all a terrible and horrible and very bad idea, and part of her wants to tell Eli to just go home because she's being stupid. But she knows he'd refuse, and that makes her want him around even more.
"Are you hungry?" She asks after a moment of nervous silence, hands dropping from her hair and leaving some of it mildly wild looking. "I mean, I'm not, but I like cooking when I'm stressed and kinda...wanna show you something in the process. It's nothing bad, but...you're my best friend. I think you should see this."
Eli'd been just about to offer to cook, and now he's caught off-guard. His gaze drops slightly and he starts out dully, "Um."
It only takes him a second or two to shake that off and smile wryly at himself. "Sorry, yeah." He runs his hand through his hair and of course it falls right back down. "I was going to make something for you and the kids. But it's cool. You can do it. Or..."
Another little smile. "We can do it together and you can show me whatever."
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timeasmymeasure
Re: 11/19 - after texting with regina - audio
Date: 2018-11-22 12:22 am (UTC)As soon as he hears her voice, he's glad he did. Fuck. She sounds so scared. He call her right back and hopes she picks up. ]
Re: 11/19 - after texting with regina - audio
Date: 2018-11-22 02:38 pm (UTC)Eli. Hey.
[ She still sounds stressed, but calmer. It's a forced calm, but it's something. She'd like to not set everything on fire with her panic, so she's kept herself tucked away in her room after her shower, reading books from the library, trying to keep on top of her education even if she isn't actually going to school. ]
I didn't bother you earlier, did I? There's probably a million things you need to do.
Re: 11/19 - after texting with regina - audio
Date: 2018-12-02 12:10 am (UTC)No, you didn't. It's fine, I'm not busy. You need company?
Re: 11/19 - after texting with regina - audio
Date: 2018-12-02 02:42 pm (UTC)Don't worry; a small part of her is in fact telling her she's being stupid by worrying too much about this. So, in a tone that's a lot more truthful than the one she'd used before, she speaks. ]
Yeah....I think that'd be very helpful. Thank you, Eli. See you in a bit?
Re: 11/19 - after texting with regina - audio
Date: 2018-12-10 04:47 am (UTC)Yeah. I'm leaving now.
* * *
And he does leave right away. Charlie's important to him.
* * *
It's about a half an hour before Eli shows up at the big villa. Although he knocks at the outer doors, it's just to let them know he's here. He lets himself in and sends Charlie a quick voice message via phone to say
I'm here. Where are you?
while waiting in the courtyard.
Re: 11/19 - after texting with regina - audio
Date: 2018-12-11 04:57 pm (UTC)Re: 11/19 - after texting with regina - audio
Date: 2018-12-13 04:04 am (UTC)All he could find by tracking Regina's phone is that Neil's sick, Regina's scared, and she's really carefully managing what she's telling the kids. He's not planning to ask any questions until he's sure she's steadier.
11/19 - so this got lost in my spam folder and i'm p/ annoyed.
Date: 2019-01-01 03:38 am (UTC)After some silence from her, her eyes closed tightly, she finally steps back out of the hug and looks at Eli.
"Sorry...uh...thanks for coming by. I'm really glad you're here."
Re: 11/19 - 'm sorry! should've told you I'd tagged
Date: 2019-01-01 05:37 am (UTC)"Nothing to be sorry for," he reassures her. "What can I do?"
Re: 11/19 - it's ok! real life ate me, anyway. here! have a tag.
Date: 2019-01-21 12:44 am (UTC)"Are you hungry?" She asks after a moment of nervous silence, hands dropping from her hair and leaving some of it mildly wild looking. "I mean, I'm not, but I like cooking when I'm stressed and kinda...wanna show you something in the process. It's nothing bad, but...you're my best friend. I think you should see this."
Re: 11/19 - it's ok! real life ate me, anyway. here! have a tag.
Date: 2019-02-06 03:16 am (UTC)It only takes him a second or two to shake that off and smile wryly at himself. "Sorry, yeah." He runs his hand through his hair and of course it falls right back down. "I was going to make something for you and the kids. But it's cool. You can do it. Or..."
Another little smile. "We can do it together and you can show me whatever."